The Atlantis Resort is amazing. Breathtakingly spectacular and filled with things to do, I highly recommend it when planning to stay in Nassau. Having spent a few nights at the Comfort Suites Paradise Island, I had full access to the resort’s facilities during my Bahamas …
I had so much fun during my stay at Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas. The Aquaventure Water Park was a major part of that. Covering 141 acres, this water playground is the signature attraction on Paradise Island (and the largest water park in the Caribbean, …
Only got time to do one thing in the capital of The Bahamas? Make it the Pirates of Nassau museum. On my recent trip to New Providence, I was really impressed by this immersive experience, right in the heart of Downtown Nassau. The Pirates Museum might seem like a tourist trap, but its actually a really interesting attraction that transports you back to the days of Nassau being its own Pirate Republic. There’s no better way to experience this era of Bahamian history. Admittedly, I didn’t know what to expect from my visit. In this post, I’m going to take you through the Museum so that you don’t have that issue.
The Pirates of Nassau Museum chronicles the rise and fall of the Pirates’ Republic of Nassau. The so called Golden Age of Piracy took place in the region from the late 1600s to early 1700s and saw Nassau’s population of privateers and swashbucklers significantly dwarf the civilian population. It all started when Henry Every arrived in Nassau in 1696 aboard a ship loaded with loot from the Indian Empire. Bribing the governor of the time, Nicholas Trott, Every’s precedent would lead to the outpost becoming an established base for buccaneers.
The pirate power base in Nassau became stronger following French and Spanish attacks in 1703 and 1706, which resulted in many English settlements being abandoned. Lawless bands of pirates took over in their absence and were able to maintain a presence, protected by the shallow waters of The Bahamas, which weren’t deep enough for large Man-o-War ships to traverse. From their outpost, the pirates carried out hit and run attacks on merchant shipping routes, though they would avoid attacking English navy vessels early on. As more and more privateers joined the ranks of the Pirates’ Republic, that restraint would fade. As attacks on naval frigates became more common, the English sent out a cry for help. King George I dispatching Woodes Rogers in 1718 was the beginning of the end for the Pirates of Nassau.
Your journey at the Pirates of Nassau Museum begins at the height of the Golden Age of Piracy. A plaque at the entrance sets the scene, telling you that you’re about to travel back in time to 1716. Through a set of doors, you immediately enter a set that blew my mind. Stepping into a recreated Nassau wharf one 18th century night, you’re in an actual pirate shanty town. Hearing the sounds and sights, its like stepping onto the set of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Alongside the wharf is a life-sized replica of the pirate ship, Revenge, which your path takes you aboard.
The Revenge was a captured French corvette ship. At 130 feet long and bolstering 16 guns, it would be commandeered by 200 pirates at a time. In its earlier life as a merchant vessel, it would only have had 35 men aboard, however pirate crews were significantly larger, which proved advantageous both in overpowering other ships and plundering their loot. On board the Revenge, you get some insight into life aboard a pirate ship. Perhaps not surprisingly, daily life aboard was filled with lengthy periods of gambling and drinking, but a crew would hustle quickly to arms when it was time for action. While moving through the hull of the vessel, you’ll see recreated living quarters and information about things such as food, surgery and general conditions at sea.
Leaving the vessel behind, your Pirates of Nassau experience continues upstairs into a series of halls. Filled with dioramas and other displays, the next section of the Museum focuses on the female swashbucklers. While not traditionally the pirates that most will think of, there were actually quite a few legendary female pirates, the most notable being Anne Bonney and Mary Read. Both were originally mentored by Henry Jennings, an adversary of Benjamin Hornigold, a pirate that would play an instrumental role in the downfall of the Pirates’ Republic. Both Read and Bonney joined the crew of Jack Rackham in 1720, but were captured a short time later. They were both pregnant at the time and received suspended sentences for their crimes, with Read dying in custody.
The next section of the Pirates of Nassau experience takes you through the all important rules that governed life aboard a pirate vessel. Most pirate captains adopted articles that regulated the behaviour of their crews. While pirates were a lawless bunch, they had to be disciplined in order to survive while sailing and navigating the treacherous waters of the Caribbean. A few examples of these pirate codes are displayed throughout the exhibit. I was surprised to learn that walking the plank was never actually a thing! The ultimate punishment for a pirate was instead being marooned – left alone to fend for themselves. This was often referred to as becoming “Governor of your own island”.
Once you’ve learnt a bit more about life at sea, its time to come face to face with one of the most fearsome pirates of all. Setting the scene before entering the next section, a plaque indicates that you’re aboard a vessel bound for Antigua on December 5, 1717 while a black flag looms on the horizon. Stepping through the doors ahead, you come face to face with Captain Edward Teach himself. Better known as Blackbeard, the pirate leading an attack on your vessel is arguably the most famous swashbuckler to ever sail the seas. There’s actually excellent use of lighting in this exhibit, as the figures of his crew just appear out of the shadows. It would have been an occurrence feared by many at sea in Blackbeard’s day!
Blackbeard’s reputation was unmatched in the Pirate’s Republic. Part of the “Flying Gang”, he actually became the ‘magistrate’ of Nassau, with carte blanche to enforce a lawless state of law and order as he saw fit. He was a force abroad as well, being involved in a blockade of Charleston in the Carolinas, successfully repelling an attack from the Royal Navy. He met his end on November 22, 1718 however, when he was cornered by the English at Ocracoke Inlet. Legend has it that his headless body circled his vessel three times before vanishing following his death!
The last few halls of the Pirates of Nassau Museum take you through the fall of the Pirates’ Republic. It all began with the arrival of Woodes Rogers in 1718. He arrived with a Royal Pardon for all pirates to give up their ways and refrain from further plunder. While many did give up their ways, it was his calculated use of Benjamin Hornigold that accelerated the end of piracy in New Providence. When Hornigold accepted the pardon, Rogers commissioned him to hunt down and capture any of his fellow swashbucklers that had turned down the offer. Well versed in their ways, Hornigold brought down many of the most famous pirates in the region.
There’s a series of displays in this section that document the fates of the various pirates you’ve already learnt about on your journey. There’s also a section dedicated to Hornigold’s most significant accomplishment. When Hornigold captured 10 pirates who were all executed the following morning on 12 December 1718, the Republic fell and the English re-established control over Nassau. The events are followed from the perspective of Dennis McCarthy, who met his fate at the gallows that day after being convicted of piracy.
Despite being instrumental in stamping out piracy in Nassau, Hornigold didn’t live much longer. He was supposedly wrecked on a reef and drowned the following year. Meanwhile Woodes Rogers fell ill and died in Nassau on 15 June 1732.
Your journey with the Pirates of Nassau ends with a few displays of pirate artefacts and a small gift shop, followed by a courtyard filled with cannons and pirate models. Overall I was really impressed by the exhibits. I was honestly expecting a few rooms with information about pirates, but the immersive nature of the experience really takes you through the years of Nassau’s Pirate Republic comprehensively. You learn about all the key players and come out understanding this time of Caribbean history. While a trip to the Pirates of Nassau only takes around 45 minutes, its quite affordable and something I highly recommend doing on a trip to The Bahamas.
Have you been to the Pirates of Nassau? What was your favourite part?
Perched atop Bennet’s Hill, the highest point on New Providence Island, Fort Fincastle is one of the many forts watching over the capital of The Bahamas. Most visitors to Nassau will stop by the Queen’s Staircase. If you continue up that staircase, you’ll reach the …